pete_r

A wooden frog. Good age to start the collection.

According to the same article, the total investment by Singapore in Thailand for 2006 was 28.92 billion Bahts, on average 2.41 billion Bahts per month.

January 2006 was more than double that average with 5.26 billion Bahts, and January 2007 was well below average with 0.619 billion Bahts. Logically the year on year comparison looks very bad (88% drop as announced), but comparing with the monthly average of 2006 (2.41 billion Baht/month) makes the numbers look a bit less dramatic. That said, it's still quite a big drop.

Yesterday the Assistant Governor of the Bank of Thailand announced at a press conference a loss in the value of the official reserves of Baht 174 billion ( saen tjet see pan laan. ).

There is something I don't understand (I'm no expert!!!).

On 17 Feb 2006, The BOT declares 2099.9 Bns Bahts for its international reserve (53.5 Bns USD, rate 39.25 BHT/USD)

On 16 Feb 2007, The BOT declares 2407.1 Bns Bahts for its international reserve (67.5 Bns USD, rate 35.66 BHT/USD)

Year on year, that looks like an increase of 307.2 Bns Bahts, not a decrease?

The figures are from the BOT website:

Economic condition 17.02.2006:

http://www.bot.or.th/BOThomepage/DataBank/...006/E240206.htm

Economic condition 16.02.2007:

http://www.bot.or.th/BOThomepage/DataBank/...007/E230207.pdf

See also Syncback.

http://www.2brightsparks.com/index.html

http://www.2brightsparks.com/downloads.html#freeware

At Kaset fair last month there were a few shops with fig trees for sale, for 500 Bahts per plant.

I copy the contact details from a flier I picked up in one of the shops:

Khun Thera Jarernkit

161/13 Soi Prang Kaset 1

Th. Ngamwongwan

Ladyao, Jatujak, Bangkok 10900

Telephone: 089-790-1057

There is also an e-mail address on this website (as well as pictures): http://therafig.spaces.live.com/

The seller mentioned the orchard is located near Sukhotai.

There is Thairung ......

http://www.thairung.co.th/

Sometimes nothing is the best thing to say

Regards

I don't know what that's about, the opening shows an Isuzu. Maybe they make parts now but their aim is to develop a car.

I may be wrong, but I thought Thairung imports motors made in Japan (by Isuzu) and builds a body around them.

sorry i gotta ask - and pardon my ignorance - but why would a topic on worms turn into a heated debate

obviously members of the farming community know something i dont.. please tell

The debate was about the high cost of worm compost compared to cow manure...

Here is the link:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=102141

It seems that EVERYONE knows what self sufficiency is about, but only the Thai gov't understands the sufficiency economy and that is why it takes such high level people to explain it.

As an economist would say: Producers making normal profits instread of monopoly profits ==> implication, reduction of barriers to freer trade in the domestic and external market place.

For individuals, investing in productive endevours, whether that be education, training or businesses which will over time raise the productivity level of thailand, rather than excessive over consumption of goods and services which will not help Thailand meet these goals.

For government: changing policy settings to decrease (or better regulate) monopolies, corruption and tariffs, and to invest in education.

Nice post

hey! laws are suppose to be applied fairly to all people in the country. ...so, let me repeat. what about the DTAC/Ucom situation where telenor of norway has 70% ownership? why are you guys all trying to ignore this question?

..could it be - because this is sonthi's company? the guy who has the television program denouncing all the evil that thaksin has committed? the guy who lead the PAD?

talk about evil.

Yeah, it's ironic that the former leader of the People Alliance for Democracy is now a mouthpiece for an unelected government appointed by the junta...

Regarding the Telenor argument, I think the key issue with Shincorp is the satellites they own, and which are used by the Thai military. Telenor does not control satellites in the same direct way, so they are of little concern to the generals.

As for taking back the satellites for national security: How many armies in the world actually rely on the services of a private telecommunication company for their operations? For security's sake, it would be much better to set up a separate satellite entirely controlled by the army. I believe this is what serious armies do, from the USA to Europe and China.

I'm baaaack...

previously, I didn't have any knowledge about thai military use of the shin satellites. so, I decided to do some research before opening my mouth. here is what I found out...

telenor has 3 satellites. they control 3 satellites. so, your claim that telenor doesn't control satellites is __________. (you fill in the blank.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_l...llite_operators

as for using the satellites for national security. my question to you is - if you are so knowledgable about their use as military devices, what are they using them militarily for? from my research, I found out that shin had contracts with the countries of lao and cambodia to provide those countries with access to tv broadcasting, etc. ..could it be - you are saying that thailand was spying on those countries?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_Satellite

what really interests me is - why is thailand so concerned about the satellites in regards with national security when so many other countries are not? did you know that singapore has a satellite looking over australia - providing that country with some major satellite services? ..and let's not forget all the contracts that the usa has with countries all over the world. why are they not up in arms because of their agreements with the usa?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optus

something tells me that this huge issue with the shin corp was not about national security, but a personal grudge between some powerful thai people. and "this" other party just wants to destroy thaksin for no other reason than a personal vendetta. he is even willing to take down thailand in the process.

I love wikipedia. have you checked out what they say about sondhi limthongkul?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sondhi_Limthongkul

in particular... the quote, "Under Viroj's management, the debt that Manager Group owed to Krung Thai Bank was reduced from Bt1.8 billion to THB 200 million.", made me wonder what sondhi did in such a short amount of time to decrease a 1.8 billion baht debt to 200 million baht. he didn't bend over, did he? I mean - how else can you make so much money by just working in the bank?

actually, now that I think about it. "pete_r" just made this "CLAIM" about the shin satellite being used for military purpose. we really don't know if his "CLAIM" is true. he didn't present any supporting documentation at all.

if this is all about "anti-foreigner paranoia", bring it out. I think the world would want to know. "enquiring minds NEED to know."

Yes, thanks for the research. I have to admit I don't have enough time to do all the necessary fact-checking myself, and usually refrain from posting for that reason.

For this particular post, we have to ask ourselves why the Thai military make such a fuss about taking control of the Shin satellites back from Singapore. There are a few possibilities:

(i) Nationalist rhetorics.

(ii) Putting up pressure for a negotiation between Thailand and Singapore.

(iii) Personal grudge and vendetta towards Thaksin (the reason you put forward in your post).

(iv) The necessity to control these satellites because of existing military operations relying on them (the reason I put forward).

Honestly, I don't have supporting documentation for any of these reasons. So I made the assumption that the generals work for the good of the country (I try to be of good faith in what they say since the coup, here). With that assumption, I have to rule out reasons (i), (ii) and (iii), because none of them are good for the country, in terms of international reputation and economic confidence for example. That leaves only reason (iv), a military necessity, as good enough to justify the declarations by Gal Sondhi.

According to your post, your assumption is opposite to mine in that there is a "powerful party" "willing to take down thailand in the process" of "destroying thaksin". Based on this assumption, you logically choose reason (iii), the personal grudge and vendetta against Thaksin.

So far our two theories are based on assumptions and have the same weight. If you want to prove yours, you need to provide supporting documentation (there is no mention of a "powerful party willing to take down thailand in the process of destroying thaksin for no other reason than a personal vendetta" in the Wikipedia articles that you mention). You could also try to disprove my theory, but I doubt internet sources will have any positive proof that the military do not use the Shin satellites.

Otherwise, both of us are only speculating, which may be what this forum is for after all. A lot of news are inherently unverifiable, unless one gravitates in the circles of power.

I see the Telenor story as a side issue. It is clear that the current junta has little interest in it compared to Shincorp, either because it was not under the control of Thaksin (reason (iii)), or because they don't have any military operation relying on them (reason (iv)). In any case, Telenor is out of the spotlight and I skipped the fact-checking homework. My apologies for that and thanks to you again for doing the research.

Oh, and sorry if I have irked you with my reply to your first post. That wasn't my intention.

hey! laws are suppose to be applied fairly to all people in the country. ...so, let me repeat. what about the DTAC/Ucom situation where telenor of norway has 70% ownership? why are you guys all trying to ignore this question?

..could it be - because this is sonthi's company? the guy who has the television program denouncing all the evil that thaksin has committed? the guy who lead the PAD?

talk about evil.

Yeah, it's ironic that the former leader of the People Alliance for Democracy is now a mouthpiece for an unelected government appointed by the junta...

Regarding the Telenor argument, I think the key issue with Shincorp is the satellites they own, and which are used by the Thai military. Telenor does not control satellites in the same direct way, so they are of little concern to the generals.

As for taking back the satellites for national security: How many armies in the world actually rely on the services of a private telecommunication company for their operations? For security's sake, it would be much better to set up a separate satellite entirely controlled by the army. I believe this is what serious armies do, from the USA to Europe and China.

If the international carriers feel the new airport is safe then it probably much safer than we are all led to believe and all the hype to the contrary is PR spin. Are there problems - sure are - is it unsafe not a bit.

On that note, I seem to have missed the detailed pictures of the cracks when they were released. The story has been going on for three weeks now, and I've only seen two rectangle holes in the tarmac (one empty, one full of water), photographed from different angles and repeated again and again. Both have been dug by workers. Where are the actual cracks, and how big are they, really?

The thing is, at the moment it is cheaper to buy diesel at the petrol station than to invest in the equipment and chemicals (methanol) needed to turn cooking oil into biodiesel. Plus, the cooking oil can be sold to animal feed manufacturers, which brings in money and is easier to do than brewing biodiesel at home.

To encourage biodiesel production, either the price of diesel has to go up (which is going to happen eventually, but not tomorrow yet), or the government must subsidize.

Former CDC chairman suggests new Constitutional should go in line with democratic principles

It should go without saying, shouldn't it? Or are there people up there suggesting democratic principles are optional???

A friend of mine is looking for English teachers for a school in Suvarnabhumi area.

The courses take place during the weekends. One session is 4 hours, you do one session per week, or more if you want.

The course content is training in conversational English for employees at the airport (shop attendants, waiters, etc...). It's relatively simple level, the objective is to enable airport staff to interact better with customers.

The salary is in the range 300-400 bahts/hour.

PM me for more details.

There are exceptions, but above the WP, the important factor seems to be how much cash you bring in to the bank. 100,000 Bahts: No problem. 10,000 Bahts: May I see your work permit?

It's not Thailand specific, I've seen that happening in the UK too.

To reach any audience by satellite broadcast, you need your intended audience to be equipped with a satellite dish and to have the motivation and skill to climb on the roof and point it to the correct satellite. You also need a way to tell them which is the correct satellite in the first place. It's impossible to do on a large scale without a network of engineers inside Thailand going around people's houses and doing the installation for them.

OR...

simply be hooked up to cable television that does all that for their customers.

But...

The cable television companies in Thailand are under the scrutiny of the governement/CNS and would not be allowed to broadcast anything issued by Thaksin (example, they were not allowed to broadcast a certain CNN interview recently).

But... that was nationwide UBC that did that, I believe. Much easier to do with local carriers. With over 300 local cable TV operators in Thailand, I could well imagine some of them would be willing to carry it. Particularly, local cable companies owned by Thakky's old friends. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Newin et al own some of these local companies.

I didn't know there were so many operators, thanks for the information. That makes the scenario feasible, technically.

Hi Tim,

I'm glad to see you back online too. I know you only through your posts but was shocked by your accident nonetheless.

All the best for your recovery.

To reach any audience by satellite broadcast, you need your intended audience to be equipped with a satellite dish and to have the motivation and skill to climb on the roof and point it to the correct satellite. You also need a way to tell them which is the correct satellite in the first place. It's impossible to do on a large scale without a network of engineers inside Thailand going around people's houses and doing the installation for them.

OR...

simply be hooked up to cable television that does all that for their customers.

But...

The cable television companies in Thailand are under the scrutiny of the governement/CNS and would not be allowed to broadcast anything issued by Thaksin (example, they were not allowed to broadcast a certain CNN interview recently).

Thaksin rumoured to have rented satellite

BANGKOK: -- Government officials are scrambling to verify rumours that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has rented a Chinese satellite to beam attacks against the junta into Thailand.

Foreign Affairs and Information and Communications Technology Ministry officials are seeking information about the broadcasts, a Council for National Security (CNS) source said.

The source said information suggested Thaksin would rent satellite time from the Chinese. The former prime minister is spending most of his time living in Beijing.

To reach any audience by satellite broadcast, you need your intended audience to be equipped with a satellite dish and to have the motivation and skill to climb on the roof and point it to the correct satellite. You also need a way to tell them which is the correct satellite in the first place. It's impossible to do on a large scale without a network of engineers inside Thailand going around people's houses and doing the installation for them. I don't think Thaksin is willing to pay for such logistics (a radio broadcast would be much cheaper and easier). And even if he was crazy enough to try, the move would promptly be stopped by the government.

Another rumour to sell paper on a monday methinks.

A friend at KMITL university gave me these figures for meat production:

Young calves are kept in herds feeding off the fields (bushes/scrubland) until they are big or old enough to be fattened (about 1 year old). At this point a young cow or buffalo sells for 5000 to 10000 Bahts depending on age and condition.

Feeding and fattening take one to two years, until the animal reaches 200kg. At this point the animal is sold to the slaughterhouse for 25000 to 30000 Bahts.

After slaughtering and cutting, the carcass is worth around 35000 Bahts.

These figures will vary depending on the season, the availability and price of cattle feed, and probably many other factors.

True, but China, Japan and Singapore have big slush funds. And what has he really been doing in these countries? If he was retiring from politics and Europe is too cold right now (unlike China and Japan), why not go to the Bahamas and write his memoirs? Something is up. Just got to figure it out.

For Japan and Singapore, apart from "visiting old friends and relaxing" as usual, I suspect he was getting (buying) some form of permanent visa to these countries, after his diplomatic passport was revoked.

By the way, where is he now?

In Homepro, better avoid the thin plastic bubble wrap and aluminium foil insulation products. They look tempting but they're not as efficient as the fiberglass.

Swelters made a nice post on house insulation once. Here is the link:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=96650

Actually, at the moment I'm looking for a supplier of insulation material made of "natural" fibers, for example coconut fibers or cellulose fibers. Anyone with ideas?

So to beautify my lovely ceiling our cheapest option is to replace the tiles and add the layer of fibreglass insulation. Any ideas on the costs?

I've just had a count of our tiles (they're about 60x60 cms) and we'll need about 100 which leads me to believe we need to cover about 40m squared. What sort of width does the fibreglass come in? I will probably get this done first then see whether I can live with it or not.

My local Homepro sells the fiberglass in rolls 4m long x 0.6m wide, and various thickness. The thicker the better but the more expensive too. A roll 2 inches thick is priced 170 Bahts, 4 inches is 230 Bahts and 6 inches is 539 Bahts.

Lampang has a bit of everything.

Quite a few bar/restaurants along the river.

Some temples to see, the most famous is Phra Tat Lampang Luang (outside the town).

Ceramic market for souvenirs + Indra factory outlet on the outskirts.

Elephant training center on the road to Lampun and Chiang Mai.

Lampun and Chiang Mai are just 100-150km away.

Sukhotai and its sister city Srirachanarai are also within reach on a 1- or 2-day trip (if you drive, don't miss the road 101, there are some nice teak forests along there).

Last but not least, I almost forgot the horse carriages to go around the town.

P.S. I'm trying to dredge up some old memories on this subject and I'm wondering if anyone out there can comment on this: Is it true that since ice is a more ordered state than water if you create ice and then allow it to melt you are losing energy through/as entropy?

Chownah

I think you're right Chownah. One of the rare memories I have from thermodynamics is that if you consider the system "Water + Surroundings", the entropy variation will always be positive during a freezing + melting cycle, according to the second law of thermodynamics (meaning that you are increasing the overall entropy and disorder of the universe). But I'm not sure how it works if you consider the system "Water" only.